Guard-finger



(No Model.)

R. W. WALKER.

.GUARD FINGER.

No. 413,116. Patented Oct. 15 1889..

' WM 1 d I ZZ ZWM 6% 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANDALL W. WVALKER, OF OXFORD, NEWV YORK.

GUARD-FINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 413,116, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed July 31, 1389- Serial No. 319,313. (No model.)

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in guard-fingers for harvesters, and is designed more particularly as an improvement on the device for which I ob tained Letters Patent No. 346,568, dated August 3, 1886.

It has for its object to provide improved means for fastening the ledger plate or knife to the guard.

The invention in the present instance resides in the peculiar combinations and the novel construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sect-ion through the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the locking devices removed from the guard, but in their relative positions. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ledger plate or knife removed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a guard-finger, which may be of any of the usual forms, except as hereinafter described. The crossbar a of this guard-finger is formed with lugs b near the ends and with central lug c, leaving upon each side of said central lug a dovetail space or channel (1, designed to receive the projections e at the heel of the ledger plate or knife E. The central lug c of the cross-bar a is cut away upon its forward face,

as shown at f, and forward of this lug the guard-finger is formed with a depression 9, which has an opening it extending through the finger, leaving the shoulders 71, for a purpose hereinafter described. The forward wall of this opening h is formed near the top with a Vertical portion j, below which is the rearwardly-inclined portion is, beneath which is the undercut portion Z. The front wall of the depression g is preferably rounded, as shown at m.

The ledger plate or knife E is formed at its forward end with a tapered lug E, designed to fit a correspondingly-shaped opening in the guard-finger, as shown in Fig. 2, and at its rear end, besides the projections 6 above described, with a cut-away portion E and extending forward from this cut-away portion and centrally thereof is the cut-away portion E the front wall of which is inclined downwardly and rearwardly, as shown at e in Fig. 4. The ledger-plate is sharpened from the under side, as shown.

The guard-finger is cored or recessed, as shown at A in Fig. 2, to lighten the same and allow slight yielding of the ledger-plate.

B is a locking-plate, formed with avertical wedge-shaped shank B, which at its lower end terminates in a horizontal lug B At the upper end of the shank B is a head E the forward edge of which is shaped to conform to the shape of the front wall of the depression g in the guard-finger, the head extending upon opposite sides of the shank, as shown in Fig. 3, forming shoulders 13, for a purpose hereinafter described. At the rear of the head there is a lug B the forward or front side of which is undercut, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

O is the key, in the form of a wedge, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is formed with a T-head O, which has a reduced portion 0 forming shoulders O and shoulders (0 In operation the parts are assembled in the following manner: The locking-plate B is first placed in the depression of the guard-finger with its shank in the vertical hole therein. The ledger-plate is then placed in position on the guard-finger, with its lug E fitting the hole therefor, with its projections e fitting the spaces 01 in the cross-bar a, the shoulders e abutting against the shoulders c of the central lug a, but extending inward beyond the same, as shown in Fig. 1. The key 0 is then dropped into place with its shank in the vertical hole in the finger behind the shank of the locking-plate, as shown. As the key is driven home it forces the locking-plate B forward, its lugs B fitting in the undercut space Zof the guard-finger, and its undercut lug B engaging the inclined portion e of the ledgerplate, as shown in Fig. 2, the T-head of the key having its reduced portion C fitting in the recess E of the ledger-plate, the shoulders of the T-head serving, as shown in Fig. l, to prevent displacement of the locking plate or key except by direct vertical movement of the latter. The ledges or shouldersz' in the depression of the finger serve as guides and supports for the locking-plate and key, the extended portions of the head of the locking-plate and the shoulders 0* of the key riding thereon.

The above construction provides a very cheap and efficient means of fastening the ledger-plate, allowing of ready removal or as sembling of the parts.

The ledger-plate may be extended more or less upon each side of the guard-finger.

What I claim as new is 1. The combination, with the guard-finger havingvertical aperture, of the led ger-plate, the locking-plate B, and the wedge-shaped key .0, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the guard-finger having vertical aperture and recess Z, of the locking-plate having horizontal lug B fitting said recess, the ledger-plate, and the wedgeshaped key, as set forth.

5. The combination, With the guard-finger having vertical aperture, depression g, shoulders z, and recess Z, of the recessed ledgerplate having inclined portion 6, the lockingplate having wedge-shaped shank, horizontal lug B extended head and undercut lug B and the wedge-shaped key having a T-head, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, withthe finger-guard having lugs b b a, vertical aperture and spaces d between the lugs, and the lug 0, cut away upon its front face, of the recessed ledgerplate, the wedge-shaped looking-plate having lug B upon its head, and the wedge-shaped key having T-head with reduced portion 0 all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

RANDALL W. WALKER.

'Witnesses:

S. S. STAFFORD, W. K. J ACOBS. 

